


A Kiss

by alejandrathemexican



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Character Death, F/M, Fluff, Jealousy, Kissing, Morning Kisses, Parent Death, Post-Canon, Regency Romance, Romance, Surprise Kissing, kiss prompts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-10
Updated: 2018-10-04
Packaged: 2019-07-10 12:13:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 2,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15949112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alejandrathemexican/pseuds/alejandrathemexican
Summary: Kiss prompts one shots





	1. A Good Morning Kiss

The rain was pit-pattering against the bedroom window. Over the cool blankets, she was starting to stir.

Still deep into the darkness he felt her fingertips, cold from the waning fire in the chimney. He felt them on his cheek, his jaw, resting on his skin only long enough that he could call them a flutter.

A flutter in his heart.

His arms wriggled so they were finally around her, and he pulled her as close as he could. Close enough to smell her hair. Something citric, but sweet.

Blinking away the darkness, with his eyes still bleary, he was treated to a view full of her.

He wondered if there was anything more beautiful than the sight of her in the blue-ish morning light. Like second-nature, he reached down to kiss her. Soft lips against his. A shiver of lazy desire.

It’d be a good morning.


	2. As a Promise

He didn’t normally notice it, but he paced a lot.

“Sit down. Or stop. You’re driving me crazy.”

Hiccup stopped to stare at her, sitting in the creaky pale green waiting room chairs, her arms crossed and one leg laying still over the other.

“He’ll be fine, you’ll see,” she said, something determined sitting in the crook of her elbow and the grasp of her fingertips on her arms. “Your dad’s strong. He can make it out.”

He shook his head, his lips now a grimace, and he turned away; he couldn’t see her through burning, welled up eyes.

It would be inevitable. How many surgeries had his father had just in the last year?

He knew it was coming, and that’s why he had to close his eyes.

He didn’t want to see.

He didn’t want to know.

Not anymore.

“Hiccup.”

Soft pressure on his back, and pale arms snaked around him. His hands flew so they lied on top of hers. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to fling her away or hold her.

Hot, burning pain made its way through his torso, erupting in a choked-up sob.

“Hiccup…” her voice was soothing. He needed it more than he feared it.

Despite feeling like he was crushing her, Hiccup was reassured by the pressure of her arms on his back.

“Shh… It’s okay. It’s okay to cry.”

He nodded so she’d know he was listening and clutched to her like the world ended in Astrid, her soft, blond hair, and her gentle murmurings.

“I’m sorry,” he said after a while, still hiccupping and sniffing. He hadn’t even noticed they’d sat back down until the chair creaked. He drew a deep breath that he couldn’t help letting out shakily. “I’m scared.”

She scooted as close to him as the chairs would allow, before kissing his cheek. “It’ll all work out the way it’s supposed to. Everything will be fine.”

How could things be fine if his father _died_? He had at least three arguments to refute her, but her confident blue eyes and that slight smile stretching over rosy lips bleached them out completely.

He was leaning closer to her and feeling the soft pressure of her mouth on his, and he knew he had found gravity again.

It would all be fine in the end, no matter what.


	3. where it doesn’t hurt

 

His bones were old and frail like they’d been for years, but Astrid was reminded of it all by the coldness and pallor of his skin as she moved one hand to rest over the other, so it’d be still.

It felt like sealing a pact.

A pact whose beginning lines had been drawn for almost a year now.

Astrid remembered lighting Stoick’s funeral boat back in the sanctuary like it was yesterday; and really, sometimes that was not an exaggeration. Memories were starting to blur together like a piece of parchment that had been drawn over and over again.

You could make out the lines, but not the specific figures.

The skin in her hands was wrinkled and spotted, but it held stubbornly over Hiccup’s fingers, as she scooted closer to him.

She knew her years were catching up to her.

Death would come for her too, she knew, in the next few years, but she wasn’t afraid.

Just yesterday, she was getting married.

Just yesterday, she was watching her children get married.

Just yesterday, she was watching her children grow.

Just yesterday, she was playing with her friends, when they were still ignorant of the world around them.

Just yesterday, Hiccup had held her hand and squeezed, even though it hurt, and through the pain he’d asked her to sit with him.

But he wasn’t in pain anymore.

Blinking out tears, Astrid brought her lips to his lined forehead, pressing a gentle kiss over his cold skin.

He wouldn’t hurt anymore.


	4. In Secrecy, Desperately

He loved her too much. He couldn't and wouldn’t torture himself with the feel of her lips on his, so he settled for the torment of the warmth of her hand.

The area was cold in the winter, but she felt nothing but heat when his fingers delicately pulled her white glove off and laid his lips on the back of her hand, and then the palm, and then the wrist, where he stopped.

His eyes were closed, and he was trying to smell her skin.

Trying to drink her in so she wouldn't ever leave him.

Astrid watched him hesitate, and the dreaded reality broke her happiness.

They were loving on borrowed time.

Inside, the ballroom of the Hofferson house was full; everybody was keen on celebrating her coming of age and engagement, and she was outside in the garden, hiding behind a tree on the pretext of needing fresh air.

She was outside, letting a man she could never marry kiss her naked hand.

They knew it would end someday, when she was old enough to be betrothed, knowing he’d never have enough for her parents to accept him.

Not now that he’d lost everything. Not now that she was to marry.

Anxiousness filled him as he helped her pull the glove back on, as she straightened her attire, making sure not a hair was out-of-place.

He waited for her to leave. To go back to her own party.

But she didn’t.

Instead, she took a swift step forward, and pulled him down to kiss him.


	5. Out of Jealousy

She really didn’t have anything to complain about.

Really.

Astrid shifted in her seat, her computer resting on her lap.

Then why was she so uncomfortable?

It was a normal day at the dorm. Tuff and Ruff were fighting over the best controller on the sofa next to her, Fish was in his room cleaning his collection handmade chess pieces, and Snotlout was in the kitchen pretending not to eat from Astrid’s stash of peanut butter.

Ah.

And Hiccup. Hiccup was away.

She tried to focus on her assignment, but no words would come.

Growling, she shut her laptop off and started to put her things away.

Her outburst made the twins stop, Tuffnut’s hands in position to attempt to claw out Ruffnut’s eyes, that were looking at her with a glint.

Astrid scowled at them and when back to her room, and Ruff used the opportunity to shove Tuffnut off of her and follow Astrid.

“Let’s go to get lunch,” said Ruffnut, sitting on Astrid’s bed with her legs crossed.

Astrid didn’t even bother looking at her, continuing to pretend to organize her desk. “I’m busy. I have my French assignment.”

“I’ll help.”

Astrid sighed. Her hands stilled over the desk and she turned to look at her friend like it’d cost her a great deal. “Ruff. You don’t know French.”

“Yes, I do.”

“No, you don’t.”

“I made out with a French guy once.”

“Ruffnut.”

“His name was _Jacques_.”

“Ruffnut!”

“Fine,” whined Ruff, stretching like a cat over Astrid’s bed. “Spoilsport.”

Astrid turned to her, her arms crossing, and a frown etched on her face.

She started tapping her foot, glaring at Ruffnut, who looked at her blankly.

“Get out, now?”

“Fine. I’ll go. But you’re just taking out your grumpy on me.” Ruffnut rolled her eyes.

Astrid’s face was warm, “I’m… I’m not grumpy!”

“You _are_. Ever since Hiccup left looking like _that_.” Ruffnut picked herself up and left the room, calling out: “next time just make out with him.”

 _What?_ Astrid rushed after her. Her heart was racing faster than her thoughts, “What are you even talking about?”

Ruffnut faced her but backed away with the care you take not to make a bull chase you. “Look. Usually I’m the stupid one, but this time it’s you,” she gulped, raising her hands to placate Astrid’s fury. “Everybody can see you like Hiccup except him. And Snot. Like, _like_ like,” she kept backing out of the hallway and into the living room, trying to put distance between Astrid and herself. “It’s okay!” she added, “but next time maybe tell him before he leaves on a date?”

Astrid stopped. She wanted to be angry. She wanted to talk back to Ruff.

But she couldn’t.

As Ruff forced a retreat by pulling Tuffnut out the front door shouting _‘laters!’_ , Astrid was left dumbfounded by the living room.

“I…”

Ruffnut was right. When Astrid had seen him leaving, wearing the brown leather jacket he’d bought because she’d said it looked good on him, she wanted to run to him and stop him. Talk to him about anything just so he wouldn’t leave.

On his date.

His date for lunch.

Almost like in a trance, she realized she’d sat down on the sofa when Snotlout put his arm around her.

“What’s wrong, babe?”

Shrugging his arm off, Astrid scowled at him, “fuck off, Snot.”

Raising his arms like he’d been burned, Snotlout shot up from the sofa. “Whatever,” he said snidely, but raced back to his room when Astrid glared at him.

“AND STOP EATING MY PEANUT BUTTER!”

Grunting, she crossed her arms and laid back on the couch.

Before she fell asleep, she started imagining Hiccup on his date, looking good with that jacket on. Laughing with that mystery girl…

The front door opening awoke her. Astrid jumped up and looked back, only to see Hiccup struggling with the grocery bags. She dashed to help him bring her in.

Once they’d arranged them on the cabinets, Hiccup shot her a grateful smile. “Hey,” he said.

Feeling her face warm again, Astrid tucked her escapee longer bangs behind her ear. “Hi. How…” she cleared her throat. “How did that date go?”

“Oh…” he shrugged and leaned back on the counter, “not good.”

“Good.”

She took a step forward and pulled him down by the flaps of his jacket, crushing her lips onto his.


	6. As an Apology

Astrid found him sleeping in the living room. She’d woken up only to find him and his pillow missing, so she’d gone on the search.

He groaned, glaring at her through his blinking when she poked him awake.

“Why did you leave?” she asked him, sitting on the floor so that her head rested near his shoulder.

He turned away with a grunt so that he was laying face-down.

She poked his shoulder again. “Hiccup?”

His grumbles were muffled.

“What?”

He turned again so he faced her, a grumpy frown in his forehead. “I didn’t wanna,” he repeated. “You kicked me off the bed.”

“Oh.”

“You think it’s funny.”

Astrid turned her nascent smile into a pout. “Nope.”

“You do,” he accused, covering his face with his blanket.

Giggling, Astrid kneeled up, pulling the fabric away from his face. “Hiccup?”

He hummed, not having enough energy to be grumpy anymore.

She paused, a wondrous smile stretching her lips as she took him in.

“What?”

Astrid shook her head, before leaning down to kiss him.


	7. To Shut Them Up

“It’s fucked up!” he was trying to storm out of the restaurant.

“What do you mean ‘fucked up’?” she was chasing him out.

“I…” He paused, looking into her eyes and finding nothing but bewilderment. “You… you really can’t see it?”

She stood straight, arms crossed, and eyebrow cocked up in defiance.

He gave a chocked chuckle, “oh my gods. That’s- okay. You were being rude to my mum.”

“I…! Okay, so I was. So what? Lady disappears for twenty years and suddenly,” Astrid started to pace, gesturing wildly, “-suddenly she decides she gets to have a say in your life? Seriously? I’m…!”

“Astrid,” Hiccup tried to interrupt.

Astrid continued on, “-just don’t get it! Where was she when you lost your leg? Or that other time with the car crash. Just who does she think-!”

Her voice was silenced by his hands on her shoulders and his lips on hers.

What were they arguing about again?


	8. Where it hurts

She pressed the wet towel against the shiny bump in his forehead. “Don’t fall asleep!”

“I’m not,” he groaned lowly, gripping the blankets below him.

Astrid scowled at him, concerned that he’d gotten hurt so stupidly. “How did this happen again?”

He blinked his annoyance at her. “I didn’t change the safety line.”

Her frown vanished, “Hiccup, you could have died,” she almost whispered.

Hiccup winced, “I know. I got lucky.”

Letting him hold the towel, she sat next to him, the weight of her world sitting on her shoulders.

“Hey,” he whispered to her.

She opened one eye to look at him through her fingers.

“I’m sorry. Kiss it better?” he offered, a cheeky smile sprouting from his lips.

A smile she couldn’t help but mirror.

Setting careful fingertips over his skin, she pulled his face forward, ghosting her lips over the bump in his head.

Pulling back, she took command of the towel again. “There,” she said, “it should heal now.”


	9. Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 15\. a gentle “i love you” whispered after a soft kiss, followed immediately by a stronger kiss

Astrid many times wondered if there’d ever be a more comforting feeling than his lips on hers.

10 years in, she had the certainty and confidence to admit the butterflies were gone. She’d bidden them adieu with no hard feelings; she’d imagined herself holding Hiccup’s hand and waving them goodbye at the door.

There were benefits to a girlish love. The excitement, the newness of everything, the way every little thing shook her world; but as they’d grown older she realized they could not sustain it.

He counted on her to be his constant, his family, his best friend.

And she truly, honest to God, loved him with everything she had.

And so did he. He whispered it to her in a ‘good morning’, his rough fingertips holding her face gently; almost ghost-like in strength.

There were benefits to a steady love. The lazy mornings, spending time together without begrudging the other’s space, and his face of surprise when she climbed on top of him and kissed him senseless.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [desperately](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16030565) by [alejandrathemexican](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alejandrathemexican/pseuds/alejandrathemexican)




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